The Pitfalls of Overselling Yourself in an Interview!

The tendency to oversell is common in any situation that requires one to put a stake in the ground about their own value as they wish to project it. In today’s zeitgeist this is a given: TV commercials, politicians, media; they all make their living by sensationalizing a given situation and by making themselves a hero for a moment. This temptation is perhaps the greatest when you are in a job interview and you really need that job.  Even when you do not need that job, because you already have one, the ego takes over and drives you to at least explore if you could land that offer and then negotiate it or even decline it!

There are two forces at play here: One, of course, is your own assessment of your capabilities that apply to the challenges at hand, as they appear to you during the interview; the other is lack of full knowledge of the factors that define the situation where you have to deliver on that promise!

As someone so aptly said, Confidence is what you have when you really do not understand a situation! In an attempt to impress the interviewer and to move it to the next stage towards its conclusion, one is tempted to oversell their abilities. This often stems from oversimplification of what is presented and an anxiety to come across as a quick thinker! The outcome of this stance can be one of two possibilities: The interviewer spots your overreach and does not move to making you an offer; or, worse, they believe you and offer you the job! In the latter case you probably will end up looking for yet another job before your first year at the new job is over!

So, how does one avoid the temptation to oversell in an interview? Here are some suggestions:

1. Research not just the company you are going after for that job, but also find out something about the hiring manager and the open position. Why is that position open will shed much light on what is expected of you: If the incumbent was let go, what was the reason; if this is a new opening, what is expected of someone new in that position, etc.
2. During the presentation of your accomplishments make sure that you communicate the entire context of your accomplishments, not just the juicy parts. If an accomplishment is truly stellar, tamp it down by saying that many chipped in at helping you and admit to the luck factor. That shows humility, not hubris.
3. Ask what the challenge is in the area where they want your expertise. Ask also what the driving and constraining factors are. Often, political factors create such headwinds for any change initiative that it is very difficult to get organizational support to further one’s agenda. Often, too, these factors do not fully manifest until after you are ensconced in the new job; too late to do anything about what you committed to in the interview!
4. Ask the interviewer what they see as some of the factors that will militate against the success of the initiative and what can be done to deal with them.
5. Explore what would happen if the initiative failed to take root and got delayed or downright failed. This will force the interviewer to share with you some of the apprehensions they have about its success. You can then make an intelligent decision about how to proceed.
6. Ask the interviewer about the key success factors that would make the initiative take root in the organization. Their answer will tell you much about what aspects of your skill set will play a major part in that success. If those factors are not your strong suits then you are likely being set up for failure.
7. Tactfully, ask the interviewer about factors that they have NOT told you about in this discussion. This will put them on notice and force them to divulge things that they may not otherwise.
8. If the discussion goes far enough in the interview, see if you can manage the expectations so that you come across as someone who under promises and over delivers; always a safe bet. This is a good position for you, especially at the start of a new job.
9. If you take the job, sniff out all the factors that will drive the success of that initiative and present a plan of action (PoA) to your manager within the first 90 days with your realistic assessment and contingencies. More than anything else, if this is a solid plan, you may not get that ax if the plan does not succeed when your first-year review comes due! Because, now you manager had signed-off on your plan.

10. Good luck!